Egg-shipping case



W. H. BUSSEY.

EGG SHIPPING CASE. APPuc/mau min Ausns. Isls.

Patmted Oct. 19, 1920.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM H. BUSSEY, 0F MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

EGG-SHIPPING CASE.

Application led August 18, 1919.

To all 'whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. BUssEY, a citizen of the United States residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Egg-Shipping Cases: and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

ily invention has for its objert to improve the internal construction, that is, the filler of egg shipping cases, and to such ends generally stated the invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

It is, as is well known, the custom to ship eggs in cases in the form of boxes having therein egg holding compartments afforded by a so-called filler made up of interlocking transversely intersecting partition strips usually made of heavy cardboard. The eggs are not firmly held in the several compartments of such a liller, but are usually free to rattle around and pound themselves against the sides of the compartment, thus causing breakage of soft or not very hard shells, even under careful handling.

In carrying out my invention, I employ a filler that is substantially like the customary filler, except that the ller layers are split centrally so that there is an upper and a lower filler for each layer of eggs, with the joint between the two filler sections in a horizontal plane that approximately intersects the4 layer of eggs centrally. In addition to this modification of the filler section, I provide, as a highly important feature, so-called hammock sheets. These hammock sheets are perforated, the perforations being formed by a multiplicity of radially disposed slits which afford egg clamping prongs that have more or less spring tensions and will engage the sides of the eggs, but will yield to adapt themselves to the various sizes of the eggs.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanving drawings, wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure l is a fragmentary perspective Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 19, 1920.

Serial No. 318,100.

showing an egg case including the improved filler, some parts being broken away and some parts being sectioned;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, or approximately full slzed section. showing a fragment of the case section in a plane indicated by the line 2 2 on Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view showing a portion of one of the so-called hammock plates; and

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4--4 of Fig. 3.

The numeral 5 indicates the wooden box or outer portion of the egg case, the same being assumed to be of the usual construction. Boxes or cases of this size are usually adapted to rarry 24 dozen eggs.

The case filler, as above indicated, is made up of three sections for eafh layer. The interlocking partitions that transversely intersect and form the lower section of the particular layer are indicated by the numeral 6 and the corresponding partitions that form the upper section of the layer are indiffated by the numeral 7. These two layers 6 and 'I' are of approximately the type of the ordinary partition section layers. In filling the box with eggs, a cushion 8 is preferably placed first, directly on the bottom of the box. This cushion may be covered with a cardboard piece 9 or the cardboard cover may be omitted. Next my first, or lower section of the first layer 6 is placed on top of the cushion layer, and the first hammock sheets are then applied on this lower section 6. For each layer there are two such hammofk sheets and each hammock sheet 10 is formed with a. multiplicity of egg passages or pockets, the said passages as already indicated, being formed by a plurality of radial lips 11. In forming these prongs, a central hole is preferably punched at the renter of the pocket, so that slits that form the prongs 11 radiate from such central holes. These pockets are very closelvpositioned in .the hammock sheets 10, and hence the slits of any one pocket extend centrally between the slits of adjacent pockets, to thereby prevent cutting through from one pocket through the other.

When the first hammock Sis positioned on the lower filler section 6, as above stated. the eggs Y are inserted into the pocket and by inserting the eggs. the prongs i1 of the lower hammock sheet 8 are pressed downward as shown in Fig. 2 and will then yieldinglyhold the eggs centered in the compartments.

A second hammock 8 is then placed on top of the layer ol eggs and by this operation the prongs oll the upper or second hannnock teeth will be pressed upward so that they will Urip the upper portion of the eggs, as best. iownin Fig. 2. The upper filler section T is then placed in position on top oi the marginal portion and intermediately .fiat portion of the u' per hammock. 'A' divider plate 120i card oard or other similar material is then placed on top of the upper filler section of the first layer. In this Way, the several layers of the filler will be built up, and preferably a cushion plate, similar to the cushion plate 8 will he placed on top oi the uppermost layer. By the above described arrangement, the eggs will be hold in what may be treated :is hammocl-fs. lhether or not their lower ends 1will engage in great loads, will depend on the strength oi prongs ll of the hammock plate. it any rate, a part of the weight of the will be sustained by the prongs and the eggs willl be centered in the compartment and will be cushioned in all directions, so that they vwill not jump around or pound against the walls of the compartments.

The so-called hammock plate will in some instances be made of thin sheet, metal but in the drawings and as I believe, preferably l employ hammock sheets made up, each of a layer of cardboard 13 covered with a iabric` such als cheese cloth or muslin glued thereto and indicated at 14. lith this two ply arrangement, the cloth il should be on that side away from which the prongs: will he bent when engaged with the eggsr This ar rangement puts the cloth in a tension and y.the cardboard in compression and affords Strong connections between thc the bodies of the sheets,

It is important to note that my invention may he applied to e g boxes or containers without reducing the iolding capacity thereof as fto number of eggs, or in other words, will not require larger boxes for carrying the same number of eggs. The eiiiciency of thisl vimproved eggv crate or shippin box has been demonstrated in practice. Lg s con tained in shipping cases or boxes, having my invention incorporated therein, may be safely shipped by parcel post.

What, claim is:

l. An .egg shipping case including an .prongs and outer box and a filler therefor, said filler coimprisinv' a plurality of layers, each; layer being made up o1" upper and lower filler sections with alined egg compartments, and upper and lower hammock sheets placed torether and inserted between the upper and tlower filler sections of the layers and having reversely projecting yielding portions Yfor engagement with the eggs.

2. An egg sbippii f case comliirising an outer box, anda iil er for said box, said filler comprising for each layer upper and lower filler sections, each filler section coni prising transversely intersectioned interloclred partitions, and upper andV lower hanimock sheets inserted between said filler section at the intermediate portions of the layers, said hammock sheets having egg receir ing pockets formed by prongs that sprinpr in opposite directions when engaged with rires inserted into said pockets.

fi. ,in egg shipping case comprising an outer box, and a filler for said box, said filler comprising for each layer upper and lower iiller sections, each filler section coinprising transversely intersecting interlocked partitions, and upper and lower hammock sheets inserted between said ller section at the intermediate portions of the layers, said hammock sheet having egg receiving poel;-Y ets formed by prongs that spring in oppoY site directions when eng-aired with eggs -inserted in said pockets, a cushion plate at the bottom oi the filler, and divider plates between the layers o1" said filler.

4. An egg shipping case comprising an outer lifox, and a filler for said box, said liller comprising for each layer upper and lower lill-er sections. each filler section comprising traiisrersely intersecticned interlocked partitions, and upper and lower hammock sheets inserted between said filler section at the intermediate portions of the layers, said hammock sheets having egg receiving pockets formed byprongs thatspring `in opposite directions when engaoed with eg inserted into said pockets, saitlhammock s eet being formed by a layer of cardboard and a covering of fabric, said fabric being ap lied to the exposed surface of the cardboard? In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM H. BUssEY.

Witnesses:

CLARA DEMAREST, BEBNIGE G. BAUMANN. 

